Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-10-14
BRITISH BULLDOZERS.
HireIings of the English Landed Arts
tOcracy Attempt to Evict Texans
on the Irish Plan.
One More Step and the Panhandle viii
be in 9 Blsze of Revolt Against
Such Tyranny.
Our Gallant Governor appealed to by the
Settlers to Protect Their Homes.esds
and Families


ago a rumor reached this place that the
manager of the Rocking Chair Ranch
Company had peremptorily commanded q
large number of settlers, living just be-
Vond the line OF Wheeler county, in Col
lingsworth, TO leave their homes and get
out of his range, which he has just Sc
cured from the state. The arbitrary ma
ture of the alleged demand caused many
to doubt that it had been made, IS report
ed, but to-day the story was confirmed
by TWO OF the settlers who are affected by
it, and who came in to consult lawyer
and ascertain the extent of their legal
rights. They state that on Monday last
Mr.. Drew, manager Of the Rocking Chair
Company, visited the homes of
ALL THE SETTLERS
with his foreman, who he said accompa-
MED him as witness, and notified them
that they mus get cut immediately; that
he had leased the land and had been
paying rent on 1t TO the state
ever since the 4th of July, and that If they
didn't leave at once he would cause them
all to be prosecuted criminally in Travis
county. Messrs. Boyd and Jones. the
gentlemen who corroborated the report,
WC1C lC4uC6'Cu Wy buCll CS-DCbtICIB w III
vestigste The matter and find out whether
the company could eject them under it's
lease. All are very indignant and de-
termined to fight to the end Of the law
the attempt of the company to eXpel them
from their homes.
The contest between the company snd
the settlers, which has reached a climax
in the obnoxious order referred to, has
been going on with more or less bitter
ness for four years. Both came upon the
contested ground about the same time.
When the Rocking Chair Company
bought the cattle and orange privileges"
of Conkle & Lytle, during the flush times
of the cattle industry in 1888, the nucleus
Of d settlement on Elm creek and
the Salt Fork Of Rcd river had been
formed. Soon sfterwsrd the company
bought Of the New York and Texas Land
Company 237 sections of land within their
range. and INN diately fenced this with
all the alternating sections ofschool land
The trsct thus enclosed is about twenty
miles wide by thirty miles long, including
some OF the most fertile and
BEST WATKRED LANDS
in Ceilings worth and Wheeler counties
II the idteat was to squeeze out the set
tiers it proved futile, for they not only
held on with logged persistepcy, but
continued to grow IN numbers. The
abundance OF wood and wafer made it q
desirable locality for colony; comforts-
bic haoitstions were erected; little farms
were started, and the work of improve
mept carried on with a will which indi-
Gated q contemptpous disregard Of the
HUGE WIRE FENCE,
stretched far around, on either
side. The agents OF the COM
pany fumed and fretted, but the
settlers were invinciole. They claimed
an equality of right on the public lands,
with the English company, and held On
| in the hope that the Watered lands upon
which they had located would one day
be placed upon the market, thus enabling
! them to purchase their homes. The cong.
! pany, however, never becSme recanciled
to their presence; petty collisions were fire.
| Guent, land as the days went By the relations
| between the two sets Ofoccupants OF the big
| pasture grew more strained The company
made sn effort in 1884 20 lease the entire
tract, Joining in the celebrated Accent
! tender, which was refused by the Land
Board. In 1885 the manager CT the COM
| psny wrote letter to the Land BoarC
stating that number of parties were
trespassing upon the school lands on Elm
and Salt Fork, and requesting that soma
steps be taken TO eject t2em. The letter
was referred to District At
tcTney Woodman Of this district, who
said that SIS the company had enclosed
and was using over l50. 600 acres CT
| school lands
| FREE on CHARGE
| while the settlers were only occupying 6
few sections, he didn't think the com.
pany, st least, had any right to complain
lie declined to prosecute the settlers
and intimated that il shy proceedings o.
that sort were begun the company would
| figure as defendant.
Thus matters stood at the time of the
passage of the new land law, when tne
population of the settlement had increased
to about thirty families. The settlers
were now confident of a fioal triuupt
over their old antagonist, the company
by being permitted to purchase from the
state the places they had improved. They
were looking forward with feeling OF re-
lief to the survey and classification O.
their lands, when to their great astonish-
ment, the command to leave was given.
It seems thst there are other reasons
besides the old troubles, for the perempt.
DRY action OF the company. It has land
enough of its oHl to Craze Its own cattle
which numbers about Is, 900 head, but O
late it has made contracts to pasture 49,.
900 head st the rate OF 81 80 per head fol
the ensuing year. The speculation is 81
ingenious and most profitable one. L
pays the stSte, in lease money for tht
Isl, 040 acres of pub ic Isnds inclosed
$6041 go. For the pasturage OF 1S,00(
heEd OF cattle one year it is to get 49,.
500. The difference Of Sl3, 45S.40
REPRESENTS ITS PROFITS
from this little lease speculation.
The names OF the settlers who hay'
been ordered to get out, and the number
Of cattle, approximately, they have on thu
range, are IS follows: George W. Boyd
$50; W. III Jones, 40; Henry Holstein
%; S R Holmes, %: I. j. Allen, $50
S. 81. Vaughn, 200; j. Byrd, 200; Do
Adsmson, 30; Hawkins, 100; f
Firing, So; Bill Ellis, 100; Jim Nc
Cracker, rs; - McCracken, %; Franz
Allen, 20; Leigh Smedley, 40; Bill Smed
ley, 60 horses; John Cresswell, 800 cattle
Tom Nicely, 40; C. Clifton, 10; E. Mont
gomery, Is; Jim Lyon, 200; Howe Pow
ers, 10.
The following parties have no cattle
A. T. Swafford, John Swafford, Aarol
Beck; Henry Willimot, S. A. Adamson
Yves Cain.
The Hon. j. n. Browning has been re
tanned by the settlers as counsel, and
WILL ACT GRATUIToUsLY
for them in case the company attempts